Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
September,  1914.  J 
Rhamnus  Purshiana. 
395 
green  shell.  The  testa  of  the  seed  is  thin  and  papery,  its  outer 
surface  of  a  yellow-brown  color  and  its  inner  surface  like  the 
cotyledons,  bright  orange  color. 
Characteristics  of  the  Wood. — The  wood  of  Rhamnus  Pur- 
shiana while  green  is  soft  and  brittle,  but  when  dry  it  is  tough  and 
hard.  After  the  bark  is  removed  from  the  wood  it  checks  very 
easily  on  drying.  It  is  used  to  some  extent  in  making  ax-handles 
and  wagon  spokes. 
Collection  of  Bark. — The  season  for  peeling  and  collection  of 
the  bark  is  during  the  months  of  April  to  September.  The  tree  is 
usually  cut  down  and  the  bark  removed  from  every  part  except 
the  smallest  branches.  Trees  of  four  inches  or  less  in  diameter 
are  not  cut,  because  the  bark  is  too  thin.  Foreign  material,  such  as 
sand,  moss,  etc.,  is  removed  by  scraping;  the  common  curry  comb 
is  the  convenient  tool.  Those  who  peel  on  a  small  scale  usually 
prepare  very  clean  bark,  while  those  who  work  on  a  larger  scale  are 
frequently  careless  in  removing  foreign  matter.  Much  of  the  bark 
is  collected  by  small  ranchers  and  Indians  living  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
cascara  areas.  Larger  quantities  are  collected  by  companies,  who 
•  employ  a  number  of  men  for  this  purpose  during  the  season  of 
collection. 
Curing  of  the  Bark. — After  being  mossed  the  bark  is  spread  out 
on  the  ground  on  tarpaulins  or  on  racks  in  the  sunshine  to  cure. 
Sometimes  it  is  kept  under  cover  during  the  curing  period.  If  placed 
in  direct  sunlight  it  usually  takes  about  four  days  for  the  curing 
process.  About  60  per  cent,  of  its  weight  is  lost  during  the  curing 
stage.  If  not  rained  upon  the  bark  will  cure  with  a  rich  satin  brown 
color,  while  if  rained  upon  it  will  be  spotted  with  black  or  become 
entirely  black.  Slow,  careful  drying  yields  bark  10  per  cent,  heavier 
than  if  hastily  dried.  The  bark  when  dry  is  broken  into  small  pieces, 
usually  by  means  of  a  feed  chopper,  then  packed  into  sacks  holding 
from  50  to  100  pounds  and  stored  in  a  dry  place.  The  collector  of 
the  bark  seldom  keeps  it  during  the  aging  period  of  one  to  two 
years.  The  season's  collection  is,  as  a  rule,  contracted  for  before 
peeling  begins,  and  the  product  is  shipped  early  in  the  fall.  The 
dried  bark  must  be  carefully  kept,  otherwise  it  will  absorb  moisture 
and  deteriorate. 
Prices  and  Production. — When  first  introduced  to  commerce 
the  bark  of  cascara  sagrada  commanded  a  price  of  fifty  to  sixty  cents 
per  pound.    The  supply,  however,  rapidly  increased  and  prices  fell 
